Autumn Motivation - Ugh.

prawny

Feeling crap about commuting at the moment, not enjoying work either which isn't helping and can't face the thought of getting the train either to be honest.

Now the schools are properly back the traffic and driving standards were lacking a bit this morning, plus the weather is crap.

Any ideas how I can get my mojo back?

Buying shiney things is also not an option, and possibly one of the causes of my current malaise

gabriel959

New job? How about a new route, even if it is slightly longer? I no longer commute the shortest way because of crappy drivers. It makes for a nice uneventful commute most days though.

Weather will get worse and as soon as October is out of the way then lights will be needed so you need to ride!

prawny

I think new job might be plan A, my commute is already 20 miles each way which is the upper end of what I'd want to do regularly. I came a different way in today and it was worse than the main route in, the road is narrower so just had more traffic and close passes which was nice.

The thought of charging my bastard lights every other day is also filling me with dread, I need a USB hub for my desk.

fat daddy

sorry cant help .. I have always found the changing of the seasons to be the thing that keeps me interested ...... Just as I start to get bored of the sticky late afternoon commute amongst the heaving traffic and hot bus fumes, comes the fun windy and wet blustery days as you carve you way around wobbly nodders. ...... then just as that starts to get annoying comes the pitch black mornings and freezing temperatures to wake you up on the ride in ....... as the annoyance of being permanently cold gets too much, the warmth of spring and the lighter evenings come along.

If you are already fed up 3 days in to autumn, then, you are pretty screwed .

I would buy some new clothing, change your bar tape and get some cx tyres ....... yes its throw money at it, but it works !

hopkinb

Having to take the train or tube normally resets my tolerance for commuting on the bike, even in the depths of winter,. It's crowded and you get ill from all the bugs people carry around with them. The exercise also makes a massive difference to my mood, a couple of days off the bike and I'm even grumpier than usual. Different routes help too, I have about 3 or 4 reasonable routes I can take, and I suppose an infinite number of unreasonable ones. Trying to beat PRs on strava could be a motivation, chasing down red light jumpers, not being passed?

I have never really needed any motivation though, the exercise, the occasional competition, the fresh(ish) air, the speed & flexibility of travel compared to the train/tube all add up to a winning package for me. The only thing I miss is reading, I don't read anything like as much as I used to.

craker

I've been a bit aimless since completing a marathon at the end of June.

I'm now in the throws of sorting out a group ride for a few people at work - that got me out doing big miles a couple of weeks back, no way do I want to be last up Cheddar Gorge. I'm also organising a trip to a velodrome for work folk too (I'm the sport and social rep and all we ever do is go cycling).

It's good to have something to focus on. Autumn audax? Take up cyclocross?

thistle_

Go running, that will give you some motivation to get back cycling

Is there an event/race you can enter? There's one here in October I'm thinking of entering as some motivation to get out.

arthur_scrimshaw

gabriel959 wrote:

New job? How about a new route, even if it is slightly longer? I no longer commute the shortest way because of crappy drivers. It makes for a nice uneventful commute most days though.

Weather will get worse and as soon as October is out of the way then lights will be needed so you need to ride!

+1

It will solve both problems in one go. Life is to short to be spending a big part of it doing something you dislike.

pblakeney

Book an exotic and challenging cycling holiday next year that you HAVE to train for.
Maybe not the cost effective option you were looking for, but very, very effective!

prawny

PBlakeney wrote:

Book an exotic and challenging cycling holiday next year that you HAVE to train for.
Maybe not the cost effective option you were looking for, but very, very effective!

It's a nice thought, but I think budget constraints mean we'll be doing the normal week in the borders. I'll still have my bike there though 8)

dyrlac

I keep at it by stubbornly sticking to a ludicrous annual mileage target (unadjusted for my whoopsie in Barca in June): when you have to hit 44km a day, every day, motivation is less of an issue.

Alternatively, switch to fixed (or back to gears), the transition in either direction never fails to brighten my mood for at least a couple of weeks. You have 3 bikes, surely one could be converted?

prawny

I'm still plodding on, but really struggling with motivation. Think I'm going to have a week on the train to remind me how crap it is.

kleinstroker

prawny wrote:

I'm still plodding on, but really struggling with motivation. Think I'm going to have a week on the train to remind me how crap it is.

Can't you just buy some new wheels or bar tape even? thats what I tend to do when I get bored, have been through 9 bikes in 7 years

kingstongraham

prawny wrote:

I'm still plodding on, but really struggling with motivation. Think I'm going to have a week on the train to remind me how crap it is.

More than one day in a row commuting both ways on public transport reminds me how much better it is by bike.

fat daddy

Have to work in Basingstoke today ... live in Bristol so need to take the car ... after hunting around for a ice scraper, then chasing a frog around the garage that came in, then giving up on the scraper idea and finding a container to fill with warmish water clearing the car, locking the garrage back up again, faffing around with the GPS, de misting the car then sitting in traffic half the morning .... I cant wait to cycle to work tomorrow ... at least with cycling you are only cold for 5 mins until you start to sweat to death ... and you dont need to chase frogs !

prawny

kleinstroker wrote:

prawny wrote:

I'm still plodding on, but really struggling with motivation. Think I'm going to have a week on the train to remind me how crap it is.

Can't you just buy some new wheels or bar tape even? thats what I tend to do when I get bored, have been through 9 bikes in 7 years

I'm absolutely flat broke unfortunately. We've got a very tight family budget and I can either have £60pm in my account to pay for getting to work by a method of my own choosing or a direct debit train pass which was about £63 the last time I had one. No change for a splurge at the moment with Christmas looming, he TV looking like it's on its last legs and a load of home improvements that need doing.

I honestly think a new bike would sort me out, it normally does, but I'm still paying the current one off on the drip until March or April.

I think I'm going to have a couple of days on the train and see how I feel. It always gets me at this time of year because riding in the dark knackers me out more, and I can't be bothered to ride at the weekend in the dark for fun. So riding just becomes a grind.

Could do with a small lottery win :?

slowbike

I managed 3 rides in last week (normally taxi duty 3 of the 5 days - so only get to do 2) - so that was nice.
I'm still commuting on my winter road bike atm - so it's quick & responsive ... really should change over to my tourer/do-it-all bike - but I know that's heavier and will be slower.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Maybe find a new bike route? If your current one is flat, find a hillier one, or vice versa? Or one that involves some off-road?

I had to pull myself away from continuing my commute extension home today, because it was lovely blue skies which may be bucketing down tomorrow, despite sweating like an illegitimate child in trousers and thick winter jacket due to the chilly temps this morning!

https://www.strava.com/activities/1263846366

Wrath Rob

I've just booked Hell of the Ashdown as my motivation to get training for early season. Then its Tour of Flanders, then an alpine trip, then an Alps Sportive. Having something to train for definitely increases motivation to get out there for me!

prawny

Tried a different route this morning, it was appalling

Still, I had a good ride home yesterday as I left an hour early and enjoyed the half light, and less traffic. It help me remember that I'm not that slow.

Still could do with a change somehow though, job hunting starts today. Maybe I'll have enough money then for a new bike...

thegibdog

I find how much I enjoy my commute is directly related to how much of it I spend away from the roads.

prawny

Yeah I've been thinking about that. My commute is almost a straight line into the city so there's not much scopes for getting off the road or even away from main roads without adding extra time, it takes me longer enough as it is.